Maneck



oct. 2 0, 1925. 1,557,721

C. PASSAMANECK ET AL RUNNING TIME INDICATOR Filed May 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Shut l im illk lmunll 111| n @LI N (mmf V4 (f5. Passamanecl/ 'l /lZ/Vllllol] @thon/w11 2 Sheets-Shut 2 C. S. PASSAMANECK ET AL RUNNING TIME INDICATOR Fild May 5, 1925 Oct. 20, 1925- Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED y sTATEs om s. rassmnacx AND HARVEY n.

MCCAULGU, OF FULLEBTON, CALIFORNIA.

RUNNING-TIME INDICATOR.

Animation 'flied my 5, 192s. 17u-iai no. 28,175.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CARL S. PASSA- MANECK and HARVEY E. McCAULoU, citizens of the United States, residing at Fullerton, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Time Indicators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to running time indicators and more particularly to a device of this character especially adapted for use in conjunction with the motors of aeroplanes.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character operated from a vclock in combination with the revolution counter or tachometer of the aeroplane and in which the number of working parts is reduced to a minimum so that the strain placed upon the clock may be correspondingly reduced and slowing down of the clock is thus prevented.

A: still further objectof the invention is to provide in combination with a device having clock operated timing mechanism which is thrown into operation by a gov. ernor a construction such that the governor is prevented from transmitting strain or pressure to the clock shaft and so prevented from interfering` with the accuracy of the clock.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which maybe readily and cheaply produced and installed. y

These and other objects we attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illus tration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of running time indicators constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a detailed view partially in section showing the counter wheel shafts removed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral indicates a U- shaped frame of which the bight portion is indicated at 11 and the arms 12 and 13.

From the bight portion 11 is supported a bracket 14 having a pair of depending arms 15 providing bearings for a drive shaft 16 operated in any suitable manner from the engine of a plane (not herein shown). Depending directly from and secured to the bight portion 11 are a pair of supports 17 and 18. In the support 18 and in the arm 13 of the U-shaped frame is journaled a shaft 19 collared, as at 20, to prevent longitudinal shifting thereof. This shaft has secured thereto a bevel gear 21 meshing with a bevel gear 22 carried by the shaft 16.

To the shaft 19 intermediate the supports v17an`d 18 is secured one end member 23 of a spring arm flyball governor and to this end member one end of each of the s ring arms 24 ofthe governor is secured. T e opposite ends of the arms are secured to a second end bearing 25 carried by a shaft 26 coaxial with the shaft 19 and journaled in the support 17.

AThe inner` end of this shaft has a socket 27 receiving the end of the shaft 19 and the distance through which the shaft may enter in this socket is positively limited in any suitable manner as by a iiange 28 formed on the shaft 19. The free end of the shaft 2G has formed therein a conical socket or center dip 29 whichreceives a stub center 30 carried by an arm 31 pivoted to the support 17, as at 32.

Supported from the arm 13 and parallel ing the arms 12 and 13 are frame members 33 and 34. Journaled in the arm 13 and frame member 34 is a shaft 35 collared, as

at 36, to prevent longitudinal movement thereof and adapted to be driven from a clock 37. The inner end of thisshaft which terminates between the supports 33 and 34 has secured thereto ar crown gear ,38, the teeth of which are pointed. Slidably mounted in the support 33 in axial alignment with the shaft 36 is a support 39, the inner end of which is circular in cross section and provided with spaced stops 40 and 41 between which a sleeve 42 is mounted for rotation about the support. This sleeve has secured thereto a crown gear 43 for coaction with the crown gear 38 and combining therewith to provide a clutch connecting the shaft 35 with mechanism hereinafter to be described. This connection is accomplished through the medium of a gear wheel 44 which is likewise carried by the sleeve. The outer end of the support 39 is connected with'the free vus end of the arm 31 by a link 45 and the arm k31 'adjacent its free end is connected with the frame member 33 by a 1i ht spring 46.

It will be seen that when t e shaft 16 is driven, this drive is transmitted to the shaft 19 and from this shaft. to the governor, the flyballs of which may shift the movable element through but alimited distance. This shifting of the governor will permit 'acorresponding shifting of the arm 31 and' this shifting is accomplished by the spring 46. The amount of s .ifting permitted is just suflicient to permit the teeth of the crown gears 38 and 43 to properly engage without placing any4 end thrust u on 'the shaft' 17 so that all end thrust is he d from the clock and any tendency to slow down the same as the speed of rotation increases due .to such thrust will be eliminated.

Journaled in the arm 13 adjacentthe end thereof is a shaft 47, the outer end of which is provided with a hand wheel 48 by means of which it ma be rotatedand the inner end of which is ho ow, as at 49, and has mounted thereupon a Bange 50, the inner face of which is roughened. Coaxial with and journaled at one end'in the socket 49 and at the opposite end 'in a bracket 51 is a number w eel shaft 52 having at the -end thereof journaled in the s haft`47 a fiange 53' for engagement with the flange 50 to serve asthe clutch of a resetting mechanism. Coaxial with the shafts 47, 52, and journaled at one end in the arm 12, as at 54, is a second number wheel shaft 55, the oppositeend of.

. which is socketed for the rece tion 'of the inner end of the shaft 52, as in icatedLat 56. The shaft vis held against longitudinal movement by collars 57and has within the socket thereof a spring 58 which engages `the contained end of the shaft 52 and urgesthe shaft toward the arm 13. Movement ofthe shaft 52 `toward the arm 13 is limited by a suitable means, as at 59. Adjacent the shafts 52, 55, a trip supporting rod 60 has'its ends 'secured to the arms 12 and .13, this rod par- 'alleling theshafts 52, 55, and having arranged thereon groups of carrying-over wheels 61 and 62 corresponding to number wheel groups 63A and 64 carried by the shafts 52 and 55 respectively. The ends of the supports 33, 34, extend adjacent the support and have mounted therein astationary shaft 65 upon which is mounted for rotation a sleeve 66 having secured thereto a gear 67 and a second gear 68 operatively connected to the number wheels 63 and 64 respectively. The gear 67 meshes with the gear 44 of the sleeve 42 hereinbefore described and is of suilicient width to maintain mesh therebetween at all times during shifting of this sleeve as. the clutch 38, 43, is' engaged and' disengaged.- This gear 67 also meshes with the gear 69 rotatably mounted upon the rod 60 and `this gear 69 in The operation of the device is substantially as follows: Assuming that the clutch 38, 43, is engaged and the clock 37 in operation. the shaft 52 is being continuously driven. Of the number wheels carried by this shaft, the right hand number wheel 7l v is fixed on the shaft and has its riphery provided with subdivisions of an our, expressed in minutes.v At each rotation of the shaft, the next succeeding lnumber wheel is operated inthe usualmanner through the carrying-over device connecting the two number wheels. 0f the grou 64, all of the number wheels are graduate in hours and sincethe carrying-over gear 68 is employed and engages the carrying-over device 62-connected with the first number wheel at'- each hour, the first. number wheel will be advanced and as this advance continues. it will be transmitted to the remainingY number wheels of the shaft 55. In performing the engagement for the drive, particular attention is directed `to the fact that no pressure generated ,by the governor can be in any way transmitted to theclock shaft 35 and attention is further directed to the fact that this clock shaft comprises only that mechanism lnecessary for its connection to the number wheel shafts. The number wheels of the right hand shaft 52 are intended for reconding` the number of flying hours between times when the motor is overhauled while the number wheels of the shaft 55 give the total of fiying hours for the life of the engine. At each overhauling, the numbery wheels of the shaft 52 are reset to zero, this being` accomplished by forcing the shaft 47 inwardly to engage the disks 50, 53, and in rotating the shaft 47 through its hand wheel 48. This forcing of the shaft inwardly will disengage the gears 69 and 70 so that only the number wheels of the group 63. are reset.

It will be obviousthat t e structure here- .inbefore set forth is capable of a consider,

able range of change and modification with- 'out materially departing from the spirit of our invention and .we accordingly do not limit ourselves to such specific structure exceplt7 as hereinafter claimed. e claimtf 1. In means lfor indicating the running time of motors or the like, a register, a

clock, ashaft operated from the clock, a

governor connectible with the motor to be operated therefrom and including a part shifted in one direction as the governor comes to rest, a non-rotatable-reciprocable shaft coaxial with ythe clock operated shaft, a sleeve rotatable upon the non-rotatable lio shaft, coacting clutch sections upon the sleevey and clock operated shaft, an arm pivoted to swing in a plane including the part shifted by the governor and the non-rotatable shaft and having a link connection with the non-rotatable shaft, a springengaging said arm and constantly urging the same toward the part shifted by the governor and in a direction shifting the non-rotatable shaft to engage said clutch sections*` a spur carried by the arm and engaging in a socket carried by thepart shifted by the governor and an operative connection between the register land said sleeve.

2. In an indicator of the type described, a shaft adapted'to be driven from the element to be timed during the 'operation thereof, a clock operated shaft, a governor driven from the first named shaft, an element shifted by the governor, means posi tively limitin0r the shifting of said element, a non-rotatable shaft coaxial with the clock operated shaft having a rotatable clutch section coacting with a clutch section earried by the clock shaft, means constantly urging said clutch sections into engagement and an operative connection between the clutch section and the governor preventing engagement of the clutch sections when the governor is at rest and counter mechanism operatively connected with the first named clutch section.

3. In a. ruiming time indi afina a shaft adapted to be driven from an ement to be timed, a clock operated sha ft, counter mechanism, coact-ing clutch sections one driven from the clock operating shaft and the otln 1' operatively connected with the counter mechanism to drive the same and means for moving said Clutch sections` into and ont of engagement including a governor driven from the first named shaft and an operative connection between the governor and the last named clutch section including a part positively limiting such movement to thereby prevent forcible engagement of the clutch sections.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aiiix our signatures.

)ARL S. PASSAMANECK. HARVEY E. MCCAULOU. 

